Certain cancers can result in pathologic chronic collection of bodily fluids within cavities such as the peritoneum, pleura, or pericardial sac. Such cancers may cause chronic ascites, pleural effusion, or pericardial effusion, where chronic fluid collections persist and result in increased morbidity and mortality.
In pleural effusion, excess fluid arising from an underlying pathology, such as lung cancer, breast cancer, melanoma, leukemia, or lymphoma, accumulates in the pleural cavity. If left untreated, the fluid accumulation may interfere with proper lung function, significantly increasing morbidity and mortality.
In pericardial effusion, fluid accumulates in the pericardial sac and may lead to increased intrapericardial pressure and reduced cardiac output. The excess fluid often results from an underlying cancer, such as cancer that has metastasized to the pericardium, lung cancer, breast cancer, melanoma, leukemia, or lymphoma.
Ascites is a highly debilitating complication associated with many medical conditions including liver failure, congestive heart failure, and certain cancers such as ovarian cancer, breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, uterine cancer, cancer of the bowels including colon cancer, melanoma, leukemia, or lymphoma. Untreated ascites can result in respiratory compromise, compression of the inferior vena cava (a vital blood vessel) and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (a life-threatening condition).
Treatment of cancer typically includes chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or medication infused in the area of the cancer. However, an effusion also may be caused by cancer treatment, especially chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
A patient with cancer and ascites or an effusion, often caused by the underlying cancer or cancer treatment, typically requires contemporaneous treatment for both the cancer and the ascites/effusion. Conventional treatment for ascites, plural effusion, or pericardial effusion involves one of three methods: 1) external drainage, which poses a risk of infection and long-term requirement for multiple punctures, 2) drainage to another body cavity, or 3) treatment with drugs. Such methods suffer from a variety of drawbacks including high cost, continuous visits to a physician, ineffectiveness, and risk of serious complications.
During treatment of cancer, it is imperative that a physician monitor the progress of cancer cells. Using conventional methods, an invasive biopsy of cancerous tissue generally is required to analyze the cancer cells. A biopsy often must be sent to a remote laboratory for the analysis, delaying the physician's ability to efficiently and effectively treat the cancer.
In view of the above-noted drawbacks of previously-known systems, it would be desirable to provide methods and apparatus for noninvasive monitoring of cancerous cells while treating intracorporeal fluid accumulation caused by ascites, pleural effusion, or pericardial effusion.